5 Tips for working out on Winter mornings

Brrr, it has definitely been chilly these past few days. This makes me want to stay in bed, so when my alarm goes off at 6am I have been less enthusiastic about getting up!

image via Buzzfeed

Here are some tips I have put together for staying warm in winter if you are exercising, whether it be outside or in your own home.

1. Set the alarm. 
Even though this doesn't work in every situation, I find that setting my alarm stops me from going back to sleep as I put my phone alarm far enough away so that I have to get up to reach it anyway. This means that I am up, and so it is harder for me to justify getting back into bed. It is important to listen to your body though, and if you really need a sleep in then feel free to crawl back under the covers!

2. Set out clothes.
I know a few people who sleep in their workout clothes, or put them right beside the bed. For me, I put my clothes out by my heat pump and get dressed there! Not only does it encourage me to walk out to where I exercise, it also means that my clothes are warm since my heat pump automatically goes on each morning. If you are venturing outside lots of layers are a must, including gloves and a hat.

3. Change your exercise routine.
If you are really struggling with getting up in the morning to do early exercise, consider doing it after your evening meal or at another time of day. Personally, I have been working out after I drop my son at school as then my other son is usually happy to eat his second breakfast and I feel more alert. For others, this might mean joining an indoor class instead of exercising outside. There are many great community exercise opportunities run my fitness groups, your local council and recreation centres.

4. Buddy Up.
I am always more inclined to exercise if I know someone is waiting for me to show up, as the accountability keeps me going. I belong to a running group, Extra Mile Runners, so the opportunity to run with a group is more appealing than me trying to run in the dark on my own. Doing a gym session with a friend or even going for an afternoon stroll with a family member can also work well to change things up and keep you active during the colder months.

5. Have a hot drink or meal in mind. 
I look forward to my morning coffee, so planning a hot coffee after a morning workout, or making a hot herbal tea after a run outside, are sure fire ways to keep me warm. I am a naturally cold person, so in winter I prefer hot meals too. A workout will warm me up, and then to keep that warm buzz going I enjoy an omelette or some porridge and a hot drink after my workout session.



Do you have any tips for keeping motivated in winter? I would love to know!

Date Night Movies for Winter

One of the things I look forward to the most is date nights with my husband. In winter, we tend to enjoy a hot drink, followed by a movie and popcorn, and this gets us out of the house and able to enjoy each other's company without being interrupted.

Here are some of the films we are planning to see during the colder months in New Zealand.

Mr Holmes:
Starring Sir Ian McKellan as a retired Sherlock Holmes, who finds himself reminiscing over a 50 year old case in his home in Sussex post WWII. My husband and I really enjoyed the Sherlock Holmes movies released in 2009 and 2011 featuring Robert Downey Jr., and so I am anticipating that this version will also entertain us both.

San Andreas:
As a Dwayne Johnson fan, I really want to see this even though it may be hard to watch at times due to the earthquake scenes. This movie is about the San Andreas fault line, not a GTA game as some fans thought, and features Dwayne Johnson as a helicopter pilot trying to rescue his estranged daughter as the city crumbles around him.

Minions:
The whole family is going to this, as my boys adore the Minions and their funny antics. This is the first movie aimed at children that I have been excited to see this year (my mum took the boys to Spongebob so I dodged that bullet!) and this will make a fun day out for the entire family.

Ant Man: 
My son can list all of the superheroes of the Marvel subset, and Ant Man is the latest version of a superhero character having his own movie. Paul Rudd is an actor that my husband and I enjoy watching, and it will be interesting to see how he holds his own in this performance as a somewhat serious role.

Fantastic Four: As a Marvel-fanatic household, we are also looking forward to this movie being released at the start of August. This is my husband's pick of the bunch!

As you can probably tell, we enjoy action packed movies, and I will still get my fix of romantic comedies through our movie nights at home and also going to the movies with my mum.

Are there any movies you plan to see this winter?